According to the Council, yoga involves chanting of mantras and acts of worship that are against Islamic teachings. Religioscope publishes here six articles prepared in November and December by Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), which document various reactions to the edict in Malaysia and Indonesia. The articles also explain what the practical consequences of the edict might be.

Malaysian clerics’ edict on yoga ban needs states’ approval

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 15 (IANS) — The edict forbidding the practise of yoga by Muslims, issued by the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia, is only a “view” and not binding till the states approve it and gazette it, Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin has said.

Some of the 13 states have expressed reservations about enforcing the edict issued last month that declared the practise of yoga by the majority Muslims of the country as ‘haram’ (forbidden) as it involved chanting of mantras and acts of worship that are against Islamic teachings.

Husin clarified that the Council has never issued a fatwa (edict) that is automatically binding without the states’ approval. The states could adopt the council’s views or make their own adjustments, The Star newspaper reported Monday.

Noting that there was a lot of confusion over the recent fatwa on yoga, Husin said: “What the council presented before the enforcement is considered ‘pandangan’ (views) after the council held dialogues. The view only becomes a fatwa (edict) once the state governments decide to gazette it.”

Husin said it was “a matter of wisdom” how issues should be managed.

“We realise it is impossible to please everyone (with fatwa),” he added.

Several Muslim practitioners and instructors of yoga have said that there was nothing religious about the way yoga is practised, essentially as a keep-fit regime like many others.

The mantra and the chanting of ‘om’, which has its origin in ancient Hindu rituals, are strictly removed in Malaysia.

The fatwa has been approved by some state-level councils, while a majority of them are still debating it.

No penalty for Malaysia’s Sarawak Muslims performing yoga

Kuching (Malaysia), Dec 10 (IANS) — Malaysia’s Sarawak state has forbidden Muslims to perform yoga exercises, but there would be no penalty for those who choose to do it.

Sarawak has ruled that yoga is ‘haram’ (forbidden) for Muslims in the state in line with the fatwa (edict) issued by the National Fatwa Council on yoga exercises last month, said The New Straits Times newspaper.

Assistant Minister (Islamic Affairs) in the Chief Minister’s Office Daud Abdul Rahman said it was up to the Muslims in the state to adhere to the fatwa or not.

He said no legal action would be taken against those who continued to do yoga.

“However, they are advised to do other forms of physical activity to keep fit and healthy,” The New Straits Times newspaper quoted him as saying Wednesday.

He said that owners of yoga centres would need to consider adapting the yoga exercise to their own religious beliefs.

Malacca has also agreed to implement the fatwa, while Penang, Kedah, Terengganu, Perak and Selangor were still discussing the issue, the official Malaysian news agency Bernama reported.

The national body issued an edict after determining that yoga, which has its origin in ancient India, when practiced by Muslims, diluted the latter’s religious beliefs.

This has, however, generated a controversy with many yoga practitioners and instructors saying that it is a mere keep-fit regime and no religious content was practised.

Malaysian rulers to have final say on yoga ban

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 26 (IANS) — The Sultans, the constitutional heads in Malaysian states, have cautioned against a hasty enforcement of an edict banning yoga exercises for Muslims, indicating that they, and the state level clergy would have the final say in the matter that has generated much debate.

Accepting this, the Islamic Development Department director-general Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abd Aziz said the council’s edict would be discussed in the respective state fatwa committees. It is up to the individual Ruler and religious bodies of each state to accept or reject the National Fatwa Council’s edict to ban Muslims from practising yoga.

The Sultan of Selangor state, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, cautioned that the enforcement of the edict issued by the Council last week should not be done in haste, The Star newspaper said Wednesday.

Both Sultan Sharafuddin and Raja Nazrin Shah said the matter should have been referred to the Conference of Malay Rulers.

The National Fatwa Council last week issued the edict, deeming as ‘haram’ (prohibited) the practice of the ancient Indian fitness regime that aims at mental and physical well-being. The Council said that yoga contained chanting and worshipping also.

A university teacher of theology last month raised objection to yoga, contending that it diluted Islamic beliefs.

Joining the debate, Malaysia’s long-time former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad warned against turning the edict into a religious debate.

Endorsing the National Fatwa Council’s action, he said: “If they believe it is wrong, then it is wrong. It is unfortunate that other people think that it is a slur on their religion,” he said.

“It is like saying Muslims should not eat pork and it is not an insult to the Chinese. It is the same when Muslims cannot do yoga, it is not because they are insulting the Hindus.

“It is just that they should not do it. Like all other things forbidden among Muslims, it is not an insult to others. Whether the Malays follow it or not, that is really their business.” he said.

Mahathir said people should not make it into a religious issue.

“Personally, I don’t care very much if you stand on your head or stand on your feet. It is not as if by performing yoga you immediately become a non-Muslim,” he was quoted as saying in The Star.

Indonesia not to follow Malaysian move on yoga

Jakarta, Nov 26 (IANS) — Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population, will not follow the Malaysian move to ban Muslims from practicing yoga, the country’s top clerics have said.

“It is okay if it’s for sport but I do not know if it is proven that it can destroy our beliefs as Muslims or contains ideas of polytheism,” Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) deputy chairman Umar Shehab was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post Monday.

MUI edict commission deputy chairman Ali Mustafa Yakub said there was no need to ban yoga as no Muslims were found practising it in Indonesia.

“If they are, they are not publicly visible, so there is no problem,” he said.

Yakub added that the Indian influence in Indonesia was not as strong as in Malaysia and such influence was only limited to music.

Shihab said more research had to be done before a decision can be made to prohibit yoga. The council had not carried out any study on yoga as it had not received any objection from the public.

The Indonesian clerics were reacting to the ongoing debate in Malaysia, where the National Fatwa Council last week issued an edict declaring that the practice of yoga by Muslims is “haram” (prohibited) as it dilutes Islamic values and practice.

Malaysian edict against yoga kicks up controversy

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 25 (IANS) — A fatwa (edict) banning the practise of yoga by Malaysian Muslims has kicked up a controversy in the country, with some saying that it had nothing to do with religion and was practised because of its “known health benefits”. Two states have put on hold implementation of the fatwa.

The National Fatwa Council last week issued the edict, deeming as ‘haram’ (prohibited) the practice of the ancient Indian fitness regime that aims at mental and physical well-being. The Council said that yoga contained chanting and worshipping also.

However, several people have objected to it, adding to the ongoing debate whether Muslims should be asked to eschew yoga on the ground that it diluted Islamic values.

The Sultan of Selangor state said the fatwa could not be implemented in his state as it had not been presented to the state Fatwa Committee.

Perak state’s Islamic Religious Department director Jamry Sury withdrew his earlier statement that Perak would adopt the fatwa, saying that several procedures including seeking the consent of the Sultan, had to be carried out first, The Star newspaper said Tuesday.

In Perlis state, Mufti Asri Zainal Abidin spoke out against the edict. He said that a form of yoga with the non-Muslim elements removed should be allowed.

“These sports did not have anything to do with Islam but have been practised because of their known health benefits,” he said in a telephone interview with Mstar Monday.

“Yoga practitioners who are Muslims should be given an alternative by practising a version of yoga that does not resemble the version practised by other religions,” he said, adding that chanting while practising the exercise should also be stripped.

He maintained that yoga was a good exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle if done minus the extra bits that are against Islamic teachings.

“The fatwa (edict) announced in this day and age should not be too rigid. The human movement does not necessarily have a connection with religion,” he said.

Most other states said they would take the necessary steps to enable the edict to be implemented.

However, Sisters in Islam, a body of Muslim women, said the fact that the states had differing views on the matter seemed to suggest that there was no consensus on the ban.

The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is the constitutional head, said in a press statement that the Selangor Fatwa Committee would meet to deliberate the matter “in greater detail so that a decision is not made hastily”.

The Sultan said that once the state committee had made a decision, it would then be forwarded to him for approval in line with state laws regarding the administration of Islamic affairs.

The Sultan said he hoped that in future any fatwa that touched on an issue which affected the general public would be referred to the Rulers Conference prior to being announced.

“This is to ensure that the method of channelling a fatwa is implemented in a wise manner to avoid any confusion or controversy,” he said.

Muslim practitioners of yoga upset over ban in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 23 (IANS) — Yoga as practised in Malaysia has evolved and there is nothing religious about it, several Muslim practitioners and enthusiasts of this ancient Indian fitness regime have said, expressing deep disappointment at the National Fatwa Council’s move to ban yoga among Malays.

The Council Saturday declared that yoga is haram (prohibited) in Islam and Muslims are banned from practising it.

Practitioners of yoga maintain that it has not shaken their belief in Islam. They say yoga has become mainstream and no longer had religious elements.

“I believe yoga has not affected or eroded my faith. If anything, yoga is the only exercise which combines stretching, strengthening and balancing movements,” yoga instructor and personality Ninie Ahmad said.

She said her faith in Islam was strong although she had been practising and teaching yoga for eight years.

Her reaction and those of many Muslims who endorse yoga came even as the Council Chairman, Abdul Shukor Husin, asked that none should question the edict.

“Many Muslims in the country fail to understand the ultimate aim of yoga,” Husin was quoted as saying in The New Straits Times Sunday.

The newspaper said the edict was ‘expected’.

A university teacher of theology last month raised objection to yoga, contending that it diluted Islamic beliefs.

Husin said once the fatwa was gazetted, it would be passed on to the 13 states to decide on its enforcement.

Husin said yoga had been practised by the Hindu community for thousands of years and incorporated physical movements, religious elements together with chants and worshipping, with the aim of “being one with God”.

“Because of this, we believe that it is inappropriate for Muslims to do yoga. The council is declaring that practising yoga, when it comes together with the three elements, is haram,” he said.

The edict would affect thousands of individual Muslim practitioners, besides yoga centres and those engaged in its business endorsement.

Muslim Malays form the majority in Malaysia’s 28 million population that also has 33 percent ethnic Chinese and eight percent Indians, a bulk of them Hindus.

Although worried how the fatwa would affect her business, Ninie Ahmed, who is the brand ambassador for Adidas yoga line, said she would go ahead with plans to open a three-studio yoga centre next month.

“The show goes on for me. I have invested half a million on this. Yoga is my bread and butter,” she said, adding that she was unclear how the ruling would affect her Adidas endorsement.

The centre, to be called Be Yoga, is a Bumiputera-owned (Muslim Malay) company and will be run and operated by Muslims.

“To portray yoga as harmful to one’s faith will be a great loss to the country. In Klang Valley alone, there are 30,000 registered yoga practitioners in yoga centres and gyms, and 30 percent of them are Muslims,” Ninie said.

Asked if she was afraid of the repercussions from the authorities, she said her centre promoted yoga purely as an exercise.

“I’m disappointed that the council failed to see the bigger picture of the benefits of yoga.”

A fellow yoga enthusiast, Azzy Soraya, said it was unfair to think that Muslims who practised yoga were a step closer to converting to Hinduism.

“Yoga moved on from its religious roots a long time ago. It’s about well-being and all religions encourage their followers to stay healthy.”

Some Islamic bodies also disapproved of the ban, The Star newspaper said.

M. Revathi, 40, who has been teaching yoga part-time for about 10 years, said some people mistook the names of the asanas (postures) as religious verses as they were in Sanskrit “but there’s nothing religious about the names”.

“As for the meditation part, it’s not religious either. I tell my students to relax and free their minds, and they can meditate in whatever language they like,” she said.